


Bounce Back

by QueenOfNewOrleans22



Category: Bon Jovi (Band)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:01:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24897361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenOfNewOrleans22/pseuds/QueenOfNewOrleans22
Summary: Richie thinks about their latest album and wonders. Jon joins him.
Relationships: Jon Bon Jovi/Richie Sambora
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Bounce Back

**Author's Note:**

> I was in the mood for angst with a light sprinkling of fluff.
> 
> On a sidenote, I love how in 'Born To Be My Baby' it's supposed to be about Jon's and Dorothea's relationship but we see Jon and Richie together more than we see Jon and her.

_Sometimes, all it takes is a little faith._

The stars were scattered across the sky, a wide, dark expanse of life, a colony of little bright lights in a random formation with the moon, full and round, at the head of it all. Like a captain and the loyal soldiers, advancing upon the unknown enemy in the safety that the darkness provided, silent and calm in the invisibility that the sky ensured in their pursuit for success in this battle. It amazed Richie how tiny they were, how in the grand scheme of things they meant little, just a mass of creatures on a planet that was so small compared to the bigger objects in the universe, dwarfed by a ball of fire and the same pale grey form that hovered so near, yet so far. 

Their lack of success as palpable, the disappointment of the group so obvious that even on the roof, far, far away, Richie could sense it. The latest album had done fine, just as well, but it paled in comparison to the earlier attempts at fame, the one that had skyrocketed them into success in the first place. It could all be chalked up to a lack of interest by the same fans who'd assisted them previously, that maybe in the attempt to make a smooth landing into the 90s, they'd forgotten their own roots, what had made them popular in the first place. Would they end up like so many others from that decade that had only been a few years previous, but felt like a millennia ago? Would they fade in the background, disappearing just as fast as they'd appeared? 

Richie sighed and rubbed his face, annoyed at the turn his thoughts were taking, this newfound trouble they'd all found themselves in. It was depressing to think about, and Richie didn't want to end up driving himself crazy with all these possibilities and what might go wrong in the long run. He wasn't usually like this, so pessimistic, so negative, but the lack of excitement and positive reviews had left everybody a little saddened. And maybe it was ridiculous, but it was shocking, when you're riding so fast that as soon as you crash, it doesn't sink in. 

The sudden feeling of something- a blanket, Richie realized, with a little surprise but not much shock, being settled and pulled around his shoulders startled Richie out of his thoughts, turning and looking up at Jon, who was smiling weakly and with raised eyebrows. His hair was messy and his eyes were a mix of confusion and affection, and despite the frigid temperatures of the night, he only crossed his arms around himself in an attempt to preserve body heat as he observed Richie and said nothing. Life had been hectic, and everybody was trying to come down but couldn't because of this failure, no matter how small it was in the long run. Maybe in a few years, they'd look back and laugh at how disheartened they'd been, at how easily they were giving up.

Richie opened his arm in silent offering, and Jon sat down beside him, and there was a moment of solidarity when Richie pulled him close and just _remembered._ So many things had changed. Their style, their own lives. It was hard to recall when they were just a bunch of kids, full of dreams and hope and trying to claw their way up. They'd been young, and full of pride. 

Jon's hand was on Richie's back, rubbing in slow, circular motions in an attempt to comfort. He was still shivering, and with that, Richie pulled him closer. 

"It always gets better before it gets worse, doesn't it?" Jon eventually said. "No rainbow without the rain." 

Richie smiled a little, remembering how it'd been raining the first time they'd met. An alleyway and the beginning of rain making itself known, something so small that had become so much more. "Yeah." He agreed, the memory clear in his mind's eye. 

Their first meet, their first kiss. Those two memories were the clearest ones, young and in love, and now they were not old but they had perhaps lost that appeal of being new to the crowd, but it was a reassuring thought that there was still that love, burning bright and hot. 

Jon pressed a kiss, gentle and sweet, against Richie's cheek. "Its only one. We always bounce back up, Rich. It might take a while, and this may not be the only failure we have but this, _this,_ isn't permanent. They just gotta adjust to the new us." 

Richie wasn't sure what 'us' that Jon was referring to, but he got the point, the vocal emphasis. Turning to look back at those bright blue eyes that had managed to capture his heart, Richie was once again struck by ' _So much has changed.'_

Or maybe not. 

Richie nodded, accepting the words as truth, hearing the very devotion and determination. Yes, they'd bounce back. They'd pick themselves up and get moving. Tomorrow morning, they'd all have a talk about what they might need to do, any adjustments that'd need to be done, still the same group they had started out as. The pieces would be picked up, yet again. There would be smiles and investment and they would find their crowd. 

But here, now, with Jon right beside him, comfortable and warm and ensured, Richie knew it could wait. 

After all, he was fine right where he was. 


End file.
